Container



2 Sheets-Sheet l R. L.'BEACH, JR

CONTAINER Jan. 14, 1964 Filed July 17, 1961 Jan. 14, 1964 R. L. BEACH, JR 3,117,710

CONTAINER Filed July 1'7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

'RALP H L. BEACH JR.

BY M -SMQ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,117,710 CQNTAINER Ralph L. Beach, In, Convent, Ni, assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 17, 1961, Ser. No. 124,713 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to containers and more particularly to a corrugated paperboard container having a pouring spout.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a paperboard container having a pouring spout formed integrally as a part of the container structure without detrimentally affecting its strength.

A further object is to provide a container having a sealed pouring spout which may be easily opened for first use and then readily re-closed.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the container is made;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the partly formed container in partially erected (not yet squared) condition;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the initial stages of folding the top closure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the completely closed container and spout with parts of the closure tape broken away;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a stage in the opening of the spout of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the container of FIG. 4 with the spout open.

The container 9 shown in FIG. 4 is formed from a oneiece blank Ill (FIG. 1) cut from suitable sheet material, preferably corrugated paperboard. It may also be constructed from single ply material such as liner board, depending on the requirements of the container.

The blank 10 has longitudinal fold lines 17 and 18 and transverse fold lines 19 which define and hingedly connect side panels 2, 3, 4 and 5, a top 11 including first, second, third and fourth top closure extensions 12, 13, 14 and 15, a bottom 21 including first, second, third and fourth closure extensions 22, 23, 24, 25, and an attaching member 7 for forming a manufacturers joint by which the blank 9 is formed into a tube as seen in FIG. 2, in preparing the blank for its formation into a container.

The second and fourth top and bottom closure extensions 13, 15, 23 and 25 have diagonal fold lines 27 and 28 that extend from the intersections of the vertical and horizontal fold lines to an apex at the free edge of the respective extensions. The fold lines 27 and 28 divide the extensions into triangular panels 40, 41 and 42 and adapt the extensions to be folded toward each other to form a bellows fold in which the triangulm panels or wings and 42 fold over the central triangular panel 41 of the extension.

The second top closure extension 13 is further provided with a first line of weakness 31 that extends from a portion 17a of the upper horizontal fold line 17 to a point on one of its diagonal fold lines 23a and a second line of weakness 32 that extends at an obtuse angle to the first line of weakness and from the intersection of the first line of weakness and the diagonal fold line 28a substantially to a point near the upper end of a portion 1% of the fold line 19.

The third top extension 14 has a third line of weakness 33 that extends from a second intermediate portion 17 b of the upper hor zontal fold line 17 to a point adjacent one end of the line of weakness 32. The angularity of the lines of weakness 31, 32 and 33 with respect to Patented Jan. 14, 1954 each other is adjusted in a manner and for a purpose to be further described.

The lines of weakness 32 and 33 are separated from each other by an easily breakable bridging portion 36. This increases the strength of the top because these lines of weakness are not joined and in assembling the container the top can be folded into its closed position with greater ease and with less chance of binding or rupture.

The lines of weakness 31, 32 and 33 and the folds along fold lines 17a, 17b, 28a and 19a generally define three substantially triangular spout portions 57, 58 and 59 which form a spout member, generally designated 56.

To provide structural strength and at the same time to make it easy to open the spout 56, it is preferable that the lines of weakness 31 and 32 be comparatively structurally weaker than the line of weakness 33. Accordingly, the lines of weakness 31 and 32 are formed of slits or comparatively longer cuts with shorter bridging portions between them and the line of weakness 33 is formed of perforations or comparatively shorter cuts or punch holes with longer bridging portions between them.

To form the container from the blank 10, the side panels 2, 3, 4 and 5 are folded along the fold lines 19. The attaching member 7 is then folded into overlapping relation to the inside of the side panel 2 and secured as seen in FIG. 2, in which the container is partly expanded for clarity of illustration. These operations may be performed on conventional container making machinery, the object being to form a tube which can then be shipped fiat and erected into a container by the customer.

To complete the container, the parts of the tube are squared. Then the top of the container is closed by pressing the central triangular panels 41 of the top closure extensions 13 and 15 inwardly toward each other. This causes the triangular wings 49 and 42 to fold along the diagonal fold lines 28 and 33 over the central portions 41, which in turn draws the opposite top closure extensions 12 and 14 inwardly toward each other to overlie the bellows folds in the extensions 13 and 15, as shown in FIG. 3. Means are provided to secure the top in closed position, preferably in the form of an adhesive strip 49 applied along the seam and over the abutting edges of the extensions 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 4. The bottom is closed in the same manner.

This completes formation of the container shown in FIG. 4 and generally designated 9. In this condition the lines of slits 31 and 32 are nearly but not quite superposed in line with each other and with the overlying line of perforations 33, as best seen in FIG. 5 after the parts are exposed and as will be further described.

When it is desired to remove the contents of the container, the spout member 5a: is exposed by cutting through the top closure extension 14 along a dotted line 35 which is printed on its outer surface over the perforations 33. Then the spout portion 57 is pulled outwardly along the fold line 171). Since the parts of the spout 56 are all connected to its outer portion 57, they all move out as shown in FIG. 5. This action breaks the bridging portion 36 and connects the line of slits 32 to the line of perforations 33. The spout member is then snapped out to pouring position as shown in FIG. 6, only a slight tug being required to sever the lines of slits 31 and 32 if they have not already been cut.

The angularity of the lines of slits 31, 32 and perforations 33 with respect to each other is adjusted so that when the parts of the spout 56 are folded the line of perforations 33 overlie the lines of slits 31, 32, with the slits 31, 32 offset slightly inwardly from the perforations 33 toward the center of the container top 11. When the spout 56 is opened, a locking portion 66 is formed at the agex of the edges 31c and 322 formed by the breaking of lines of slits 31, 32 which, when the spout is re-closed, is thus arranged to lock itself under the ed e 33s of the closed part of the top closure extension id to hold the spout 5o suhstantialiy closed. The ohsetting of the lines of weakness aiso tends to prevent failure by premature separation of the parts under undue stress.

To close the container it is only necessary to press downwardly on the spout portion 57 until the locking portion 6-5 is snapped in place under the edge 33c.

What is claimed is:

A container having parts including side panels, a top and bottom, said top including first, second, third and fourth to closure extensions, said container having intersecting vertical and horizontal fold lines defining said parts and hingedly connecting them to each other, said second and fourth top closure extensions having a pair of diagonal fold iines extending from intersections of said vertical and horizontal fold lines to an apex at the free edge of the respective extension, said second top closure extension having a first line of weakness extending from a said horizontal fold line to one of its said diagonal fold lines and a second line of weakness extending at an obtuse angle to said first inc of weakness and from the intersection of said first line of weakness and said one diagonal fold line substantially to a point near the upper end of the vertical fold line bet veen said secend and third top closure extensions, said third top closure extension having a third line of Weakness extending from said horizontal fold line to a point on said vertical fold line adjacent one end of said second line of weakness, said second and fourth top closure extensions being folded along said diagonal fold lines to provide bell .vs folds, said first and third extensions being folded inwardly toward each other to overlie the bellows fold to close the top and means to secure said top in closed position, wherein the edges formed by the breaking of said first and second lines of Weakness define a locking portion at their apex upon opening the spout which is arranged to lock itself under the edge of the closed part of the said third top closure extension to reclose the pouring spout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,313,987 Buttery Man 16, 1943 2,345,978 Hultin Apr. 4, 1944 2,662,684 Robins Dec. '15, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,278,546 France Nov. 7, 1960 

